March 25 – Song of the Day

Forrest Hartman — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 07:02:00 +0000

For the last couple days, people have been fascinated by the fact that a container ship that ran aground in the Suez Canal has created a maritime traffic backup. So, today’s song is “Traffic Jam” by James Taylor.

March 24 Song of the Day

Forrest Hartman — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 17:07:03 +0000

Ready for some good news? I know I am. After a year of lockdowns, culture battles and tragic deaths, an increasing number of experts are starting to believe the worst of the pandemic is behind the U.S. This doesn’t mean masks are a thing of the past, nor does it mean that Americans should become lax. It does mean we could slowly move toward a new normal that feels more like the old normal. So … we’ll celebrate that thought with our Song of the Day. Loverboy was, of course, writing about relationships when it released “When It’s Over,” but I think we can be forgiven for assigning new meaning to the lyrics.

March 23 – Song of the Day

Forrest Hartman — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 04:13:20 +0000

Often, I purposefully avoid addressing news events about personal tragedy as they unfold because I don’t want to be accused of trivializing such horrors. The truth, of course, is that I wish these things weren’t in the news at all … because they represent so much more than a headline. That said, it is impossible to ignore the fact that the U.S. has seen seven mass shootings in the last seven days. This should be unimaginable but … somehow … we’ve reached a point where it seems normal. This fact is reflected in our pop culture, in that it was too easy to find a song that addresses senseless gun violence. I could have chosen “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People. I could have chosen “Saturday Night Special” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. I could have chosen “Bang Bang” by Green Day. I could have chosen “Heaven” by Blink-182. I could list dozens more equally fitting songs. That shows how long this has been a prominent issue in our society. On that note, I give you the song that I did choose, “I Don’t Like Mondays” by the Boomtown Rats.

March 22 – Song of the Day

Forrest Hartman — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 01:42:01 +0000

President Joe Biden continues to face criticism for a worsening situation at the southern border of the U.S. as a surge of asylum seekers taxes resources. Immigration policy is a hotbutton issue in America, and the White Stripes addressed it way back in 2007 with the song “Icky Thump.”

March 21 — Song of the Day

Forrest Hartman — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 03:30:32 +0000

Wild spring break crowds in South Florida have prompted officials to extend curfews and causeway closures in South Beach through April 12. Will Smith’s “Miami” is actually a celebration of the South Beach scene, but it still seems like the appropriate Song of the Day.

March 20 — Song of the Day

Forrest Hartman — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 03:24:00 +0000

This is actually a catch-up song, as I didn’t initially get a tune posted for March 20. Still, there was plenty going on over the weekend. I decided to go with “For the Kids of the Multiculture,” an antiracist anthem by Sonic Boom Six. This song seems like something we should all be listening to in the wake of the killing of eight people in Atlanta and ongoing violence against Asian Americans. There’s no room for such things. So, let’s remember that there’s a lot more that unites us than divides us.

March 19 — Song of the Day

Forrest Hartman — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 07:00:00 +0000

The NCAA Basketball Tournament is now underway, making Public Enemy’s “He Got Game” the perfect choice for our song.

March 18 — Song of the Day

Forrest Hartman — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 15:36:26 +0000

Today, AP is reporting that it looks more and more like the work-from-home trend encouraged by the pandemic will continue even once the virus is tamed. The latest sign is that Ford Motor Co. is giving 30,000 employees the go ahead to continue working from their houses. This could herald a major, longterm shift in American culture, and there is no better song to note this than “Home” by Daughtry.

March 17 — Song of the Day

Forrest Hartman — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 16:04:00 +0000

It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and no group makes me think of Irish-American rock like the Dropkick Murphys.

March 16 — Song of the Day

Forrest Hartman — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 23:59:18 +0000

Today, it was announced that U.S. intelligence, again, shows Russian meddling in our presidential election process. Billy Joel may have written the best song ever about U.S.-Russian relations. So, “Leningrad” is our Song of the Day.”